Collapsible carrier for bottles and the like



Oct. 4, 1960 J. SKULAVIK COLLAPSIBLE CARRIER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 12, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOSEPH SKULAVIK Oct. 4, 1960 J, s u v 2,954,899

COLLAPSIBLE CARRIER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 12, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH SKULAVIK C I Oct. 4, 1960 J. SKULAVIK 2,954,899

COLLAPSIBLE CARRIER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 12. 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. JOSEPH SKULAVI K ATTORNEY COLLAPSIBLE CARRIER 'FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Joseph Skulavik, 4216 Astoria Blvd. Long Island City, N .Y.

Filed Aug. '12, 1959, Ser. No. 833,324

4 *Claims. (Cl. 220-110) This invention relates generally to carriers or portable trays and particularly to an improved collapsible carrier .or tray for carrying and displaying a plurality of cans or or bottle goods.

Another object is to provide a wire carrier of this type having a minimum number of parts that may with facility be manufactured at low cost of production, and'that may be assembled with convenience, and the resulting structure may1 readily be collapsed or folded and unfolded as de sire A further object is to provide a wire carrier of this type with means for preventing displacement of the cans or bottles supported in the carrier.

It is also proposed to provide a carrier of this type with a handle that affords a feeling of balance when carrying the loaded carrier.

Still another object is to provide a carrier of this type that is durable, capable of being used many times and is attractive in appearance.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings,

and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a carrier or tray embodying my invention, in expanded condition.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof in expanded condition showing cans in dot-dash lines in supported condition therein.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view thereof, in expanded condition.

Fig. 4 is a reduced end view thereof in expanded condigon, and showing the handle in open position in dot-dash nes.

Fig. 5 is a spread perspective view thereof.

Fig. 6 is a rear view thereof in collapsed condition.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken on line 88 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in Fig. 1 a carrier or tray made in accordance with the invention is desig-. nated generally by the numeral 10. The carrier is formed entirely of round wire and comprises a lower rectangular grid-like fiat frame 12 composed of side bars 14 and end bars 16. The side and end bars are formed from a single piece of wire shaped to form, with its ends welded or soldered together. A plurality of intermediate bars 18 extend in spaced relation between the end bars and are secured to the end bars by welding or soldering. Wire United States PatentOi' ce 2,954,899 Patented Oct. 4, 1960 bars 19 extend between the side bars 14 and intersect and are soldered to wires 18.

A similarly shaped upper frame 20 of substantially the same size as frame 12 is flexibly connceted to the lower frame 12. Frame 20 comprises side bars 22 and end bars 24 formed of a single piece of round wire, with its ends welded together. A single wire bar 26 extends from end bar to end bar at the center and is secured thereto by welding or soldering. A pair of spaced wire rods 28 extend between the side bars 22 and across the center bar 26 where they are secured by welding or the like. 7

The flexible connection between the bottom frame 12 and the upper frame 20 consists of a pair of upper and lower U-shaped wire bars 30 and 31, respectively, at each side of the carrier. The U-shaped bars are arranged back to back or in superimposed relation with the lower bar 31 being inverted. The bars 30 and 31 each comprises a bight portion 32 and leg portions 33, 33. The bight portions 32 of each pair of U-shaped bars are juxtaposed and are pivotally joined in a bearing sleeve 34.

The free ends of the leg portions 33 of the upper U-bar 30 are looped in the plane of the leg portions 33 forming loops 35 which loosely fit over the crossbars 28 of the upper frame 20 at the point of juncture thereof with the side bars 22 of the upper frame. the leg portion 33 are looped again outwardly of loops 35 thereby forming end loops 36 which are disposed in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loops 35. Loops 36 are looped or hooked loosely around the adjacent side bars 22 and engage the underside thereof.

The free ends of the leg portions 33 of the lower U-bar 31 are looped in the plane of the leg portions 33, forming loops '38 which loosely fit over the cros'sbars 19 of the lower frame 12 at the point of juncture thereof with the side bars 14 of the lower frame. The extreme ends of the leg portions 33 are looped again outwardly of loops 38 forming end loops 40 which are disposed in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop 38. Loops 40 are looped or hooked loosely around the adjacent side bars 14 and engage the underside thereof.

By reason of the offset arrangement of the loops 35, 36 on the upper U-shaped bar 30 and of the loops 38,140 on.the lower U-shaped bar 31; said bars 30 and 31can swing, during coflapsing movement, in only one direction, that is, inwardly of the side bars 14 and 22 respectively, as shown in dash lines in Fig. 4.

A pair of bails 44 of inverted U-shape and formed of round wire are pivotally secured to the corners of the upper frame 20 by means of loops 46 formed on the ends of the bails loosely encircling the ends of the side bars 22. The bails serve as a handle and can be swung inwardly or outwardly of the upper frame.

The upper frame 20 can easily be swung to closed collapsed condition or to open expanded operative condition by breaking the joint between the U-shaped bars 30 and 31 by exerting a slight sidewise pressure thereon whereupon the bight portions 32 of the U-shaped bars swing inwardly of the side bars pulling the upper frame 20 downwardly in a substantially vertical direction onto the top of the bottom frame 12 to fiat collapsed condition. The bails or handles 44 may then be swung inwardly onto the upper frame whereby the carrier is completely collapsed to fiat condition as shown in Fig. 6.

When the carrier is in open extended condition as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bars of the upper frame 20 form compartments or spaces 48 and the bars of the lower frame 12 constitute a floor or supporting surface so that receptacles such as cans 50 shown in Fig. 2 may be inserted through the spaces 48 in the upper frame 20 and seated on the bars of the lower frame 12 whereby the cans are fir-rnly supported-in erect condition and may be readily transported by means of the handle 44.

The extreme ends of 52, in order to prevent the corner cans St) from becoming displaced .011 the carrier. 7

When emptied of its contents, the carrier maybe readily recharged or may be collapsed and, in Fig. 6 the various elements of the carrier are shown in the positions which they occupy when the carrier is completely collapsed, and it will be seen that the carrier occupies but small space and may be readily handled and stored.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1. A collapsible carrier for beverage containers comprising, a rectangular-shaped bottom wire frame having side, end and intermediatespaced wires, a rectangularshaped upper frame having side, end and shaped intersecting intermediate wires, and a pivotal handle on the upper frame, the connection between the upper and bottom frames including a pair of U-shaped bars at each side of the carrier, the bight portions of the bars of each pair of bars being juxtaposed, a sleeve encircling the juxtaposed bight portions of each pair of bars, the free ends of the leg portions of the upper U-shaped bars pivotally fastened to the side and intermediate wires of the'upper frame, the free ends of the leg portions ofthe lower U- shaped bars pivotally fastened to the intermediate and side wires of the lower frame, the pivotal connection of each free end of the leg portions including loops adjacent the free ends of the leg portions loosely fitting over the top of the intermediate wires of the upper frame and under the bottom of the side bars of the lower frame, and loops on the extreme ends of the leg portions outwardly of the first-named loops and loosely fitting under the side bars of the upper frame and over the side bars of the lower frame, said inner and outer loops being disposed in planes at right angles to each other.

2. A collapsible carrier for beverage containers comof the carrier, the bight portions of the bars of each pair of bars being juxtaposed, a sleeve encircling the juxtaposed bight portions of each pair of bars, loops on the free ends of the leg portions of the upper U-shaped bars engaging portions of the sideand intermediate wires of the upper frame, and loops on the free ends of the leg portions of the lower U' Sha ped bars engaging portions of the side and intermediate wires of the lower frame whereby movement of the U-shaped-wires for collapsing the carrier is limited to-movement inwardly of the side bars of the frames, andmeans on the corners of the lower frame for preventing displacement of corner receptacles supported on said lower frame.

3. A collapsible carrier for beverage containers comprising a rectangular-shaped bottomtwire frame having side, end and intermediate spaced wires, a rectangularshaped upper frame having side, end and spaced intersecting intermediate wires, and a pivotal handle on the upper frame, the connection between the upper and bottom frames including a pair of U-shaped bars at each side of the carrier, the bight portions of the bars of each pair of bars being juxtaposed, a sleeve encircling the juxtaposed bight portions of each pair of bars, loops on the free ends of the leg portions of the upper U-shaped bars engaging portions of the side and intermediate Wires of the upper frame, and loops on the free ends of the leg portions of the lower U shaped bars engaging portions of the side and intermediate wires of the lower frame whereby movement of the U-shaped wires for collapsing the carrier is limited to movement inwardly of the side bars of the frames, the junctures of the sideand end bars of the bottom frame being upturned to prevent displacement of the corner receptacles supported in the carrier.

4. A collapsible carrier as defined in claim 3, wherein the handle comprises a pair of. bails of inverted U-shape pivoted to the side bars of the upper frame, the length of the legs of the inverted U-shaped bails being substantially twice. the height of the superposed U-shaped bars.

1,076,623, Bond Oct. 21, 1913 2,784,870 Jones Mar. 12, 1957 2,916,185 Skulavik Dec. 8, 1959 

